Method of operating a plurality of minerals separation flotation cells

ABSTRACT

A method of operating a plurality of minerals separation flotation cells (1,2) each having a feed inlet (9,14) a values outlet (11) and a gangue outlet (12,15), and each flotation cell being located at substantially the same level. A feed box (3) is located alongside the flotation cells (1,2) which are connected in series such that the outlet (7) from the feed box (3) is connected via a first pump (8) to the feed inlet (9) of a first flotation cell (1), the gangue outlet (12) from the first flotation cell (2) is connected via a second pump (13) to the feed inlet (14) of the next flotation cell (2), and so on until all of the flotation cells are connected in series. Each flotation cell also has a recycle outlet (19) from the lower part of the flotation cell arranged to return a predetermined proportion of the material flowing through that flotation cell to the feed box (3).

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a method of operating a plurality of mineralsseparation flotation cells.

BACKGROUND ART

In the past minerals separation flotation cells have been used in manyapplications for the separation of values or concentrate from gangue bymixing the mineral in a slurry or pulp, causing the values orconcentrate to be floated to the surface of the pulp in a flotationcell, typically by a bubble inducing operation, recovering the valuesvia an overflow weir, and draining the gangue or unwanted material fromthe lower part of the cell. Where a high flow rate of product isrequired it is common to operate a plurality of such minerals separationflotation cells side by side in parallel with one another to achieve thedesired output flow rate. In this situation it is necessary to provideeach individual cell with a level controller which senses the level ofliquid in the cell and controls the flow rate through that particularcell to maintain the desired level range within the cell. Thisarrangement is expensive in that each cell must be provided with anindividual level controller.

There are also situations where it is desired to further refine thegangue or tails which issue from each cell in which case the output froma cell may be redirected back to the input to recycle and reprocess thegangue to retrieve further values or concentrate. Alternatively thegangue from one cell may be directed to another cell for furtherrefinement. These processes disrupt the normal operating cycle of theseparation cell resulting in operational inefficiency.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

In one aspect the present invention therefore provides a method ofoperating a plurality of minerals separation flotation cells (1,2) eachhaving a feed inlet (9,14), a values outlet (11), and a gangue outlet(12,15), and each flotation cell being located at substantially the samelevel, said method comprising the steps of providing a feed box (3)located alongside the flotation cells and adapted to contain feed liquidover the operating height level range of the flotation cells, connectingthe flotation cells in series such that the outlet (7) from the feed boxis connected via a pump (8) to the feed inlet (9) of a first saidflotation cell, the gangue outlet (12) from the first flotation cell (1)is connected via a pump (13) to the feed inlet (14) of the nextflotation cell and so on until all said flotation cells are connected inseries, each flotation cell also having a recycle outlet (19) from thelower part of the flotation cell arranged to return a predeterminedproportion of the material flowing through that flotation cell to thefeed box (3).

Preferably the gangue outlet from the last cell is controlled by acontrol valve controlled by a level controller actuated by the level ofliquid in the last cell.

Preferably each said pump is sized to provide the desired proportionalflow rate between the gangue outlet from each cell and the recycleoutlet to the feed box.

In a further aspect the invention provides apparatus for mineralsseparation comprising a plurality of minerals separation flotation cells(1,2) each having a feed inlet (9,14), a values outlet (11) and a gangueoutlet (12,15), each cell being located at substantially the same level,a feed box (3) having an inlet (4) and outlet (7) and being locatedalongside the flotation cells and adapted to contain feed liquid overthe operating height level range of the flotation cells, the flotationcells being connected in series such that the outlet (7) from the feedbox (3) is connected via a pump (8) to the feed inlet (9) of the firstsaid flotation cell, the gangue outlet (12) from the first flotationcell is connected via a pump (13) to the feed inlet (14) of the nextflotation cell and so on such that all said flotation cells areconnected in series, each flotation cell also having a recycle outlet(19) from the lower part of that flotation cell communicating with thefeed box (3).

Notwithstanding any other forms that may fall within its scope, onepreferred form of the invention will now be described by way of exampleonly with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a diagrammaticelevation of two minerals separation flotation cells arranged in seriesfor operation according to the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

The accompanying drawing shows only two minerals separation flotationcells connected in series although it will be appreciated that three ormore cells could be connected in series in the same manner as desired.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The minerals separation cells (1) and (2) are located side by side atthe same level and a feed box (3) is provided located alongside thecells and adapted to contain feed liquid over the operating height levelrange of the flotation cells. In this regard the feed box would normallyextend from a high point (4) higher than the top of the cells (1) and(2) to a drain point (5) lower than the bottom of the flotation cells.

The feed box and the cells are connected in series such that the feedmaterial in the form of a pulp or slurry is introduced into the feed boxat (6) and passes via an outlet (7) and pump (8) to an interconnection(9) into the top of the separation cell (1). Each separation cell istypically provided with wash water at (10) and a values or concentrateoutlet at (11). The gangue from the first cell (1) drains via a gangueoutlet (12) to a pump (13) which is connected in turn via connection(14) to the inlet of the second (and in this case last) cell (2). Thegangue outlet (15) from the last cell (2) is connected via a controlvalve (16) to a tails outlet (17). The control valve (16) is operated bya level controller (18) connected to a float valve or other levelsensing device within the cell (2) to operate the outlet valve (16) tomaintain the level of liquid within the cell (2) over a predeterminedrange.

In an alternative form of the invention, each cell (or selected cells)may be provided with their own level controllers connected to a floatvalve or other level sensing device within that cell and operating avalve in the gangue outlet.

Each cell is provided with a recycle outlet (19) arranged to return apredetermined proportion of the material flowing through that cell tothe feed box (3) via connections (20). The proportion of recycledmaterial passing through the connections (20) compared with that passingthrough the gangue outlets (12) and (15) is controlled by the sizing ofthe pumps, e.g. for cell (1) by the size of pump (13). In the exampleshown in the drawing, typical flow rates in liters per minute are shownin brackets alongside relevant conduits. It can be seen for example thatpump (13) is sized to give a flow rate of 110 liters per minute whereaspump (8) from the feed box has a flow rate of 120 liters per minute.Presuming that the flow rate of the wash water entering the cell at (10)and the output of concentrate at (11) are the same, then the flow rateof gangue returned to the feed box via connection (20) is 10 liters perminute.

The system is sized to cope with the maximum flow rate expected, but foroperating flow rates below the maximum, stable operation is maintainedby changes in the internal recycles. Backward recycle of pulp (back intothe feed box rather than forward to the tails) is ensured by correctsizing of the pumps as described above.

The method of operating a plurality of minerals separation flotationcells as described has the advantage that it is only necessary to useone level controller (18) for a plurality of cells and it is alsopossible to use fixed speed pumps (8) and (13) as the flow rate does notneed to be controlled by varying pump speed. Once again a considerablesaving in capital equipment can be achieved.

A further advantage is that a controllable percentage of the pulp isrecycled (for example 10/120 of the pulp from the first cell is recycledin the example given above) which enables the pulp to be refined to apredetermined degree beyond the normal refinement which would beachieved by simply passing the pulp in series through the same number ofminerals separation flotation cells.

I claim:
 1. A method of operating and controlling the level of pulp in a plurality of minerals separation flotation cells (1,2) each having a feed inlet (9,14), a values outlet (11), and a gangue outlet (12,15), and each flotation cell being located at substantially the same level, said method comprising the steps of providing a feed box (3) located alongside the flotation cells and adapted to receive feed liquid over a predetermined range of flow rates and to contain feed liquid over the operating height level range of the flotation cells, feeding said feed liquid to said feed box at a rate within said predetermined range of flow rates, connecting the flotation cells in series such that the outlet (7) from the feed box is connected via a pump (8) to the feed inlet (9) of a first of said flotation cells, the gangue outlet (12) from the first flotation cell (1) is connected via a pump (13) to the feed inlet (14) of the next flotation cell and so on until all of said flotation cells are connected in series, operating each pump at a capacity greater than the highest predetermined flow rate of feed liquid to said feed box and recycling a predetermined proportion of the material flowing through each flotation cell to the feed box (3) through a recycle outlet (19) located at the lower part of each flotation cell.
 2. A method of operating a plurality of minerals separation flotation cells as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flow rate of gangue outlet from the last flotation cell in the series is controlled by a control valve (16) in turn controlled by a level controller (18) actuated by the level of liquid in the last flotation cell.
 3. A method of operating a plurality of minerals separation flotation cells as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flow rate through the gangue outlet from two or more said flotation cells is controlled by a control valve controlled by a level controller actuated by the level of liquid in that flotation cell.
 4. A method of operating a plurality of minerals separation flotation cells as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said pump (8,13) is sized to provide the desired proportional flow rate between the gangue outlet (12,15) from each flotation cell and the recycle outlet (19) to the feed box.
 5. A method of operating a plurality of minerals separation flotation cells, as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least some of the flotation cells are provided with a wash water inlet (10) and wherein the flow rate of wash water entering each such flotation cell is approximately the same as the flow rate of values (11) from that flotation cell. 